Circuit-controller.



M. WUERPEL.

CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED Nun/18, 1915.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

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ATTORNEY U N l I ED STTES. PATENT OFFIO,

MORRIS wUEnrnL, or nocnns'rnn, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'ro GENERAL RAILWAYSIGNAL COMPANY, or GATES, NEW YORK, 11 CORPORATION or new YORK.

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916,

Application filed May 18, 1915.- Serial at. 29,007.

This invention relates to controllers for electric circuits, and has forits main object towprovide a controller of this class which permitsquick and easy readjustment of any i one or more of its drum contactsrelatively to opposed fixed contacts, and also allows ready andconvenient substitution of one or more worn or undesired drum contactsby.

others having like or difl'ering circumferential adjustment, all withoutnecessitating change of position of the remaining drum contactsrelatively to their coacting fixed contacts. A further object of theinvention is to provide a circuit controller having few,simple,,inexpensive and durable parts including standard interchangeabledrum sections, each adapted for appllcation of a peripheral contact andall having like general bodily form assuring interlockingengagement ofany one section with an adjacent section or sectlons for causingrotation of all the sections in unison from one d1iv-, ing part fixed tothe drum shaft and engaging the first drum section.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of theinvention progresses, and the novel features ofthe invention will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming part of thisspecification and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view'of theimproved circuit controller, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view, of one ofthe detached drum contact carrying sections. The numeral 1, indicatesany suitable base or support made of insulating material and to whichin'the example shown in Fig. 1, are fixed four coacting pairs of opposedrelatively fixed resilient finger contacts 2, andtheir binding posts 3,for line wire connections. In suitablebearings, 4, 4, shown fixed toopposite end parts of the base 1, is

journaled the shaft 5, of a revoluble contact carrying drum 6, whichbesides its shaft 5,

comprises a series of any desired number of rounded sections 7, ofinsulating material carrying conductive metal contacts 8, which fit uponthe drumsections and may have any required length and are permanentlyfixed to said-sections. These drum, sections 7 each have a radial slot9, opening to its periphery and made a trifle wider than the diameter ofthe drum shaft 5, and allowing all the drum sections to be laterallyslipped upon the shaft prior to normal non-revoluble interlocking ofthem with each other by means of a series of alternating radial teeth10, and recesses 11, of like size formed pref-v erably at opposing facesof all the adjacent standarddrum sections 7 All of said sections whennormally interlocked at their toothed or serrated faces are securelyheld to each other and to the drum .shaft 5, by opposite end clampingheads 12, 13. Both of these heads may have the generalform of head 12,which is shown with alternating facial teeth 10, and recesses 11,matching those of the drum sections .7, and having a reduced collarportion 1 1, through which and the shaft 5 passes a pin 15 securing thehead 12 non-revolubly to the shaft.

The clamping head 13, is shown as a'plain washer which may be slippedover an externally threaded sleeve 16, fixed by a pin 17, to the drumshaft 5, and bears upon the outside facial teeth 10 of the last drumsection 7, to protect them against damaging pressure of the sectionfastening nut 18,

screwed upon the sleeve 16, said nut being itself finally secured by anouter lock nut 19 movable on the" sleeve. A crank arm 20, fixed to thedrum shaft 5 provides for con nection of a drum actuating rod leadingfrom a movable partof any machine or de vice actuated by electriccircuits governed by the controller.

As the clamping head 12, is fixed by the pin 15, to the drum shaft 5,and as the first drum section 7, has teeth and recesses 10, 11, engaginghke recesses and teeth of the head 12, Sand first section 7, must turnwith the shaft 5 and head 12, and cannot turn independently of them, andas the following sec-' end to last drum sections 7 all likewise engageeach other by teeth and recesses 10, 11, it is obvious that through theclamp head 12 as a-driver, all the drum sections 7, will turn togetherwhen the drum is turned by its crank arm 20. In Fig. 1. of the drawings,

the contact 8 of the last drum section 7, is shown engaged by theopposing pair of contact fingers 2, 2, to close a circuit at thissection, While the circuits are open at the circumferential adjustmentof its contact 8,-

is effected and the separated drum sections then will again be engagedand the nuts 18, 19, will be again turned inward on the sleeve 16, tosecurely bind all the drum sections to each other for rotation in unisonwith the shaft 5, as the crank 20, is turned. It will be speciallynoticed that the above described circuit controller construction notonly provides for this circumferential readjustment of any one or moreof the drum sections 7, to change the position of their contacts 8,relatively to the stationary contact fingers 2,

but it also ,assures that should any one or more of the drum sectioncontacts 8, be damaged, or should it for any reason be desired tosubstitute other contacts 8, at like positions lengthwise of the drum,this also may be done by slipping the loosened and facially disengageddrum section or sectlons laterally off the drum shaft at the sectionslots 9*, and slipping substitute sections at theirslots 9, upon theshaft and again tightening-the nuts 18, 19 to lock all the re arrangedand facially engaged. drum sec-- tions to each other and to the shaft.These circumferential or substitution adjustments of the drum sectionsmay be made without rotating the unchanged or unrcmoved drum sections Onthe shaft and, therefore, with out altering the desired relation of theun changed section contacts to their opposed relatively stationaryresilient finger contacts.

All of the drum sections 7, may not have the open radial slot 9,permitting their above described lateral bodily removal from oradjustment to the drum shaft without disturbing the circuit closingadjustment of the other sections, but it is preferred to form the radialslot in all of the drum sections which gives them the same general formpermitting their use interchangeably relatively to each other at anyposition along the drum. shaft,

The like formed standard drum sections 7, may be easily and cheaplyproduced in one operation by a molding process, which may ing a shaft, aplurality of threaded portion,

simultaneously fix or mold in the conductive contacts 8, thus leavingthe drum sections ready for use Without boring or facing or otherwisemachining them.

Although I have particularly described the construction of one physicalembodiment of my invention, and explained the operation and principlethereof; nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the formselected is merely illustrative, but does not exhaust the'possiblephysical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What I claim. as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States. is:

l. A circuit controller drum comprising a shaft, a plurality of contactcarrying sections, means holding the drum. sections to each other andmeans holding the sections to the shaft, said drum sections having anopen slot permitting their lateral application to or Withdrawal from theshaft when released from said holding means.

2. A circuit controller drum comprismutually interlocking andcircuinferentially adjustable contactcarrying sections applied aroundthe shaft, a part fixed to the shaft and inter-- looking with theadjacent drum section whereby all the interlocking drum sections willturn in unison. with the shaft, and means clamping the drum sectionstogether endwise of the shaft; said drum sections having an open slotpermitting their lateral application to or Withdrawal from the shaftwhen unlocked from the adjacent drum sections or parts,

3. A. circuit controller drum comprising a shaft, a plurality ofmutually interlocking and circumferentially adjustable andinterchangeable contact carrying sections applied around the shaft, apart fixed to the shaft and interlocking with the-adjacent drum sectionwhereby allthe inter-locking drum sections Will turn in unison with theshaft, and means clamping'the drum sections together endwise of theshaft; said drum sections having an open slot permitting their lateralapplication to or withdrawal from the shaft when unlocked from theadjacent drum sections or parts.

4. A circuit controller drum comprising a shaft, a plurality of mutuallyinterlocking and circumferentially adjustable contact carrying sectionsa pplied around the shaft, a clamp-head fixed to the shaft andinterlocking with the first drum section whereby all the interlockingdrum sections will turn in unison with the shaft, which has a screwasecond clamp-head outside the last drum section, and a nut on the shaftscrewthread outside said second clamp-head securing all the interlockingdrum sections together endwise of the shaft; said drum sections havingan open slot permitting their lateral application to or with? drawalfrom the shaft when unlocked from' the adjacent drum sections or parts.

5. A circuit controller drum comprising a shaft, a plurality of mutuallyinterlock ng and circumferentially adjustable and interchangeablecontact carrying sections applied around the shaft, a clamp-head fixedto the shaft and having the same interlocking connection with the firstdrum section as the sections have with each other, and a second clampingmeans outside the last drum section securing all the interlocking drumsections together endwise of the shaft;

said drum sections having an'open slot permitting their lateralapplication to or withdrawal from the shaft when unlocked from theadjacent drum sections or parts.

6. A circuit controller drum comprising a shaft, a' plurality ofmutually interlocking" andjcircumferentially adjustable andinterchangeable contact carrying sections applied around the shaft, aclamp-head fixed to the shaft and having the same interlockingconnection with the first drum section as the sections have with eachother whereby all the interlocking drum sections will turn in unisonwith the shaft which'has a screwthreaded portion, a second clamp-headoutside the last drum section, and, a nut on the shaft screwthreadoutside said second clamp-head securing all the interlocking drumsections together endwise of the shaft; said drum sections having anopen slot permitting their lateral application to or withdrawal from theshaft when unlocked from the adjacent drum sections or parts.

MoRRIs WUERPEL.

